THE NOTEBOOK

The network described by Aimé Adrien Taunay in his writings indicates a great variety of social types who were in contact with the traveler: diplomats, farmers, slaves, troopers, salesmen, foreigners, indigenous people, gypsies, blacks, Catholics, Protestants, among other groups who lived in the regions close to the capital of the Empire of Brazil. Equally diversified were the subjects of the conversations he held and listened to, ranging from jokes and daily events, to science, literature, philosophy and politics. Taunay shows interest in always being abreast of current events, whether local or exogenous, as can be seen in these words: “after having spent a fortnight without hearing neither about politics or business in the world, nor the Expedition from Europe, for the first time, I faced there the agitation and interest for that”. Also remarkable is the artist’s foreign gaze when observing common habits of local people and the analyses of the characters and facts he saw.